Child Car Seat Safety Laws
All 50 states have child restraint laws, which means that children of a certain age must ride in approved car seats or booster seats. Specific laws about child restraint seats differ from state to state.
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Infants
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According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 12 states require that babies younger than 1 and less than 20 pounds ride in a rear-facing infant seat. These states are in accordance with travel recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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Toddlers
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The IIHS reports that six states require children under 3 and less than 40 pounds to travel in a forward-facing child safety seat. Three states have increased the age limit for this regulation to 4, and South Carolina children are under this restriction until age 5.
Booster Seats
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In most states, kids 4 and over are required to ride in a booster seat, which elevates the child so that an adult seat belt fits properly across the chest and shoulder. The age at which kids may give up their boosters differs widely, from 5 to 8.
Booster Weight Requirements
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In addition to age requirements, many states have weight requirements for child restraint use. For example, in several states, children over 60 pounds are not required to ride in a booster seat. In other states, this requirement rises to 80 pounds, according to the IIHS.
Height Requirements
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Some states use a child's height to regulate booster seat use, according to the IIHS. In many states, children less than 57 inches tall must ride in a child restraint seat, in accordance with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, some states require kids less than 55 inches tall to use a booster, and, in other states, children must remain in one until they reach 60 inches.
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